Starting on 14 August, the weekend marking Riga’s birthday, two of Riga’s Art Nouveau gems in Riga’s Quiet Centre – Alberta Street and the section of Antonijas Street – will become pedestrian streets at weekends. Residents of Riga and visitors to the city are invited to enjoy the unique architecture, the summer atmosphere on café terraces and leisurely strolls through the city.
The pedestrian-only arrangement on Alberta Street and the section of Antonijas Street between Dzirnavu Street and Elizabetes Street will be in operation every weekend from 14 August to 20 September. It will come into effect on Fridays at 8.00 pm and will remain in force until midnight on Sunday. The pedestrian-only arrangement will be implemented using appropriate road signs to designate the area as a residential zone, prohibit through traffic by motor vehicles, as well as stopping and parking at the side of the road. To ensure access for emergency vehicles and for residents to their properties, no physical barriers will be placed on the carriageway.
The initiative is being implemented in close collaboration with the restaurants and cafés on the street. At weekends, business owners will be able to extend their outdoor terraces, subject to agreement with the local council, and will also offer special deals to customers.
Initiatives of this kind, where streets are temporarily given over to pedestrians, are widespread in many parts of Europe. They help to support local businesses, whilst making the urban environment more vibrant, accessible and attractive to residents and visitors alike.
Marta Kotello, Chair of the Riga City Council’s Public Space and Mobility Committee, points out: "Continuing the tradition that began last year, when Riga’s most beautiful streets were briefly transformed into a shared space for meeting, strolling and celebrating, this year, too, we are offering city residents and visitors the chance to experience them in a different way, by reducing the presence of motor vehicles on these streets over six weekends. It is encouraging that business owners view the initiative positively, as such activities help to attract visitors and boost business. I invite the people of Riga and visitors to the city to make the most of the last few months of summer by visiting the Riga Art Nouveau Museum, admiring the city’s unique architectural gems and enjoying what local businesses have to offer.”
During the pedestrian street regime, vehicles will not be permitted to park along the streets. At the same time, residents will still be able to drive in and out of the courtyards of their properties, whilst businesses will be allocated a specific time slot for the delivery of goods.
Residents holding permits for Antonijas, Alberta and Blaumaņa Streets will be able to use the paid car park on the section of the street where their registered address is located, as well as in paid parking areas within the same or lower tariff zones, located in the blocks adjacent to that section of the street on both sides. If it is not possible to park a car at a specific location, the Resident’s Permit also allows the use of another available paid car park on one of the street sections specified in the Resident’s Permit.
Road signs will be put up on the relevant sections of road from 10 August. Information boards will be installed on the pavements, whilst the street space will be enhanced with decorative flags, lanterns and flower pots.
Residents of Riga and visitors to the city are advised to familiarise themselves with the changes to traffic arrangements in good time.
To ensure safety and public order, traffic on the specified sections will be regularly monitored by the Riga Municipal Police. In cases where road sign requirements are not complied with and vehicles are parked in areas where parking is prohibited by road signs, the Municipal Police will arrange for them to be moved.
Further information about the weekend pedestrian streets and the restaurants and cafés located on these streets, is available on the websites riga.lv and rigasvasara.lv.
If you have any questions, please contact your local council by calling the information line on +3711201.
